News

KU start-up school gains popularity among students

October 19, 2016

If the University of Kansas (KU) experience with its free mini-course Startup School@KU is any indication, universities that want to tap into student demand for more entrepreneurship opportunities should take note. This year, enrollment nearly doubled, forcing the class to be postponed by a week.

The course is a collaborative project between the schools of business and engineering and KU Innovation and Collaboration (KUIC), the university’s tech transfer organization. Startup School@KU is designed to assist students, faculty and staff in entrepreneurship. It was set to begin this year on September 8th, but was moved to October 5th, giving organizers enough time to find a larger space.

According to KUIC president Julie Nagel, the course became highly popular once it was opened up to students. “There were some faculty members interested in starting their own business, but they didn’t have the business background needed to go forward, so it started as an educational program for faculty,” says Nagel. “After the first session last fall, we realized that there were too many students interested in entrepreneurship that didn’t have the flexibility to take courses in the business school. So this was a way to provide that opportunity to these students.”

The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. The university's mission is to lift students and society by educating leaders, building healthy communities and making discoveries that change the world. The KU News Service is the central public relations office for the Lawrence campus.